Avast, ye scurvy dogs! Google be keepin' an eye on yer personal tidings on the interwebs, savvy?
2023-08-04
Ay mateys! Google be givin' its Results About Ye tool a fine update, and now they be makin' their search engine blur those naughty pictures from the start. No more scurvy surprises, ye landlubbers!
Google is introducing new privacy changes to its search engine, including an alert system that notifies users if their personal information appears online. These alerts will be part of the Results About You tool, which will have an improved dashboard allowing users to request the removal of web results that contain their contact details. Additionally, Google will notify users if any new results containing personal information are found in the future. Users can also manually remove results by entering their name into the search bar and clicking on "Remove Result" if sensitive information appears. However, it may take a few days for Google to actually remove the content, as the company will conduct a mini investigation to ensure the request aligns with its policy requirements.The Results About You dashboard is currently being rolled out in the United States and will initially be available in English only, with plans to expand to other languages and locations. Other privacy upgrades include a default blurring effect in image searches to protect families from explicit imagery. Parental controls can now be directly accessed on Search by entering "google parental controls" or "google family link". Lastly, Google has updated its policy to allow users to request the removal of personal explicit images that they no longer wish to be visible on the platform.
It is unclear if these changes will be implemented outside the United States. Deleting information from Google Search is just one step towards anonymity on the internet. For more information on how to remove yourself from the internet, TechRadar has a guide with suggested actions that can be taken. An update confirms that the blurring setting and updated removals policy are available globally.